Publishing One Post Per Week… Is that Possible ?

First things first, let me tell you that I did not know one single thing about blogging before one week ago. I randomly stumbled upon this pin on Pinterest as I was looking for something to do with my free time. It was that pin that started it all. And, as I mentioned in my first-ever post on November 13th, 2023, my goal is to publish one post per week. And here I am, November 23rd, writing my second one…! Not too shabby!

Where it Began: My Relationship with Art

Since I was little, I have always had a connection with art and yet I’ve only realized very recently with the help of my partner’s insight how important this relationship with art was and always will be.

My outstanding and unmatched parents, to whom I owe absolutely everything, signed up extremely-shy-and-disturbingly-introverted-me to dance class, and so I entered the world of art at 6 years old for the first time. It quickly turned into my mom taxiing me around for 12 years, weeknights and weekends to endless practices, shows, get-togethers and competitions. But she did it lovingly (perhaps not so much on Sunday mornings for ballet…) knowing that dancing really helped me grow out of my shell and that I absolutely loved it. It was the first art form I was introduced to, and the only one I never got tired of. I just kept wanting more. It completely shaped my life.

Growing up, other hobbies added on to the list

Although it’s the first art form I was introduced to, it was far from the only one. Whilst dancing, I played the piano and the flute. I loved writing short essays in school. Loved writing detailed emails describing some awesome (or not so awesome) events to my parents. And later on, when dance became more of a side-line and no longer a full-time occupation, I started drawing, mostly charcoal sketching.

In my mid-twenties, by a combination of circumstances, I stopped dancing professionally and found myself without any kind of creative outlet. That’s when I decided to get my motorcycle license, and wow. I entered a whoooole other world that pushed my life into a direction I never thought of, and this blog will definitely showcase that. That said, looking back I realize now that riding a bike acted as a replacement for the need to have a creative outlet for a certain time. But soon enough, I started sketching again and most recently started oil painting.

Side note, I have to thank my mom, especially for sketching and painting. She’s an incredible artist and gave me an awesome crash course and an awesome start-up kit (albeit not so start-up!!) and is always there to help, support and motivate me.

Always in need of a creative outlet

My brain is always looking for a creative outlet. And, even though it is my brain, I was not aware of that until recently. It didn’t tell me it needed that… Had I known earlier, I’m pretty sure I would’ve saved myself a lot of self-doubt and questioning…! Funny how I’m not aware of what happens in my own brain… 🙄

Anyhow, believe it or not, I’ve never considered myself artistic. Dance was just something I did and enjoyed. Same for drawing, music and writing. And I’ve never considered all those things being a necessity for me since they were always there.

You don’t know what you got ’til it’s gone.

What a cliché… But so true.

Plus, as I got older, I started to notice that every one of those hobbies brought some source of stress! Because yes, art is scary! At least for me it was *and is*. You are basically putting yourself out there and saying, Look at me! and Judge me! When you mix it with a splash of performance anxiety… Oy vey…

For example, I had no problem dancing someone’s choreography (and was hella good at it !) but freestyling as we call it, it took me a loooong time to get somewhat good at it. Same for being a choreographer! Putting your ideas out there, concepts, music, visions, for all to see and all to judge…! It’s scary! And same with drawing, give me something to copy, I’ll be able to do it quite well. But ask me to start from scratch and create something…

And now, here I am writing! And trying to publish one post per week! I must say, writing is scary as well, but there’s something less frightening in the fact that you can always easily modify, correct and add anything to it. And by the power of the infamous computer, you can do it over and over again in a span of a couple of seconds. How cool is that ?! And how NOT scary huh !? It seems my perfectionist brain digs that very much. 🤗

So yeah, I’m enjoying writing on this blog. I’m looking forward to diving into all sorts of subjects. I’ve been thinking of carrying a Dictaphone with me at all times to record any idea that comes to mind. But… Every time I think Dictaphone, I see Louis Litt from Suits…

So, how to make sure I write one post per week ?

One post per week = 52 articles. Where will I find 52 topics? I think that’s easy. Every day, everywhere I go, every encounter is now turning into an article in my head. So I’ll strive on that (*without a Dictaphone*). I do still have my ”weird Excel sheet” I made when trying to find my blog’s niche. But, I’ll have you know, I’ve upgraded it a bit. I now have four sheets:

• Brainstorm
• Personal
• Tips and Tricks
• Tips on Blogging

Brainstorm

My Brainstorm sheet makes no sense whatsoever. It’s basically just a sheet where there are random words that I write now and then. Words that either have the purpose to make me remember a situation, an idea or a thought I had, or have the purpose of planting a seed for an idea. It goes from Nails to Cars to Role Model to Parenting to Bushes and everything in between. There are essentially no sentences. Only a ton of random words.

Personal

When I started thinking about what to write in my blog, I realized that I didn’t want to confine myself to a specific niche. I also knew that the most important aspect I wanted showcased through my blog, was for it to be relatable. So, I wanted to include topics and situations that I have lived myself and, therefore most likely other people have lived as well. But I felt like I had to trace a line and separate the personal from everything else.

My ”personal” posts will be more thought through, perhaps longer, perhaps a bit chaotic. Less staged and organized in the writing itself, as they are essentially what goes through my mind, but written on paper. And so, the Personal sheet has every idea for articles related to lifestyle topics, or thoughts. Any personal experiences, either at a restaurant or while learning to ride a motorcycle or training our dog. I write down every thought about personal growth, psychology, relationships, etc. on that sheet.

Tips and Tricks

This one is easy, considering my blog is called Chasing Lifehacks, I am of course going to be publishing about stuff I’ve learned through the years that I think might benefit people. So I fill that page with word banks solemnly related to shortcuts and lifehacks I’ve acquired through the years.

Tips on Blogging

As I start this blog, I realize that there’s a tremendous amount of time invested in research. Whether it is on how to physically build your website or tips on how to make your website more accessible or how to keep yourself invested in your blog. In the span of 2 weeks, I spent about 10 hours writing, and about 24 hours doing research. It’s absolutely fascinating all the tips about blogging and writing out there. And so whenever I find an interesting idea, I copy-paste it onto that sheet in order to re-read it later and reflect on it.

So, yes, it’s definitely possible !

Publishing one post per week is 100% doable. But knowing what to write about is just a third of the job done. Motivation and time are two extremely important factors! I must admit, I have been known to struggle with procrastination quite a bit. So it’ll definitely be a challenge for me to keep this going long-term. There’s only been a few things in life that I have loved doing and kept doing for a long time with eagerness. But who knows, maybe blogging is one I will be able to add to this short list!